So how do I get out of the Database of servers sending spam...?

First, you need to answer the questions 'Am I an Internet Marketer?' or 'Am I a spammer?' If your answer to either question is yes, you probably will not get out of the database. The same applies if you answer any of the following questions no...
'Do I run a confirmed Opt-In mailing list?' (As defined by MAPS and Spamhaus)

If you got this far, and answered honestly, you may be in a position to get out of the database.

Second, answer the following.

• Is my IP address in the neighborhood of a spammer?
• Is my IP address in a huge listed block?

If your answer to either is yes, then it is most likely that you would have to talk to your Internet service provider about getting the problem solved. If the listing was not caused by your own actions, which is frequently the case with shared equipment (including, but not necessarily limited to, the Internet service provider's outgoing mail servers, co-located servers, free web mails) and listings of more than one IP address in a particular range, then it also follows that the only party capable of addressing the problem is the real owner of the equipment and IP address(es) in question.

Third and finally, if you are really not a spammer, or you are truly reformed, de-listing is relatively easy. You donate US$50 to a charity or trust approved by, and not connected with, SORBS for each spam received related to the listing. This is referred to as the SORBS 'fine'. Please note that we do not expect end users to take this route if it is the case that the listing is not related to your own actions, such as is most often the case with ISP's outgoing mail servers, co-located servers, free web mails, etc. being listed. In those cases, the ISP involved needs to contact SORBS directly, and if the end user contacts us instead, this will be all we will be able to tell them.

If you got this far, and answered honestly, go to the bottom of this page for further details.

How did I get listed in the first place...?

There are many possibilities.

• The IP address that you use for your outgoing mail was used to send spam to a SORBS spamtrap or administrator. There are multiple possibilities for how this could have happened:
• You spammed directly.
• Either you are a dedicated spammer, or
• you operate an insecure mailing list to which the address of a SORBS spamtrap or administrator was added without their knowledge or consent.
• It is a shared server and some other user on the same server spammed directly.
• The machine was illegally taken over via vulnerabilities in software and abused for spamming. This includes vulnerabilities on servers as well as viruses and Trojan horses on end-user computers.
• You are an ISP who provides supplementary Internet services (DNS, web hosting, mail exchanger) or a credit card operator who provides credit card processing services to a domain advertised in spam that was received by a SORBS spamtrap or administrator.
• You are an innocent party whose IP address is listed as part of a larger range of blocked IP addresses because your Internet service provider is not taking action against other customers of theirs that engage in spamming.
• You inherited a listed network after your provider moved the previous tenant, who was a listed spammer, elsewhere. They may have simply moved them around in their own IP address space, or they may have terminated the spammer. At any rate, it would have been kind of the ISP to double-check whether the address block was block-listed anywhere before reallocating it.

SORBS will not de-list you without paying the 'fine' for any of these reasons. However, if the listing is a part of a wider range that is blocked you the end-user are not required to pay the SORBS 'fine' as the entry was not generated because of your actions. In such a case only the Internet service provider involved can address the matter.

What's all this 'fine' stuff...?

The 'fine' was created to stop spammers from quickly removing themselves from the database. It also has the side effect of reminding people the hard way that they are responsible for their own actions.

Putting an unpatched, unfirewalled Microsoft Windows® machine on the Internet is irresponsible in the highest degree, installing a proxy server and leaving it open for the world to use is both foolish and irresponsible, yet people are doing these things every day, and no one is telling them they can't or that it is wrong.

The 'fine' is US $50.00 and is designed to be small enough to so that the home user will think twice about getting listed a second time, and small enough to be a 'right royal pain in the butt' to any large company, the idea being that whether you are a multi-national company or a single home user, you will think twice about getting re-listed for any reason.

Needless to say, the 'fine' policy has proved controversial, particularly with those listed. It has also received negative press from several large U.S. ISPs (surprisingly enough, ones who are affected by listings). We would request that anyone disagreeing with SORBS policies would please read on and send feedback as indicated below.

So who gets the money from this 'fine'...?

Currently the easiest way for both the listee and SORBS itself is for the donations to go to the Joey McNicol Legal Defense Fund. SORBS will also accept nominations for good causes and charities to act as recipients instead. This can be on a case by case basis or on a larger scale, in which case the name and details of the recipient would appear here. If you wish to suggest a recipient, please consider the following issues:

• Does the Charity have an online donation service?
• Does the charity accept donations by credit card?
• Is the charity a registered charity?
• Is the charity capable of confirming donations made because of a SORBS listing?
• Does the charity have low administrative overheads?

The one place the 'fine' will never go is to a SORBS admin or project. Comments have been made that SORBS should setup a trust and periodically donate the 'fines' to the nominated charities. This is currently not an option, pending legal advice, as it is likely this would cross the legal boundary of extortion or blackmail. This is also the reason for the delay in allowing 'fines' to be paid to charities, as all SORBS has spoken to so far cannot handle online payments/donations with notifications.

I DON'T agree with the fine! Will SORBS change it...?

In a word, YES! However...

What will it be replaced with? That is the question SORBS has for you.

Suggestions may be made by mail to Matthew Sullivan. The address has been deleted from this web page because it was becoming clogged up with support requests that should have been sent to the support system instead. A new policy has been decided upon and will become available soon.

You can take a look at the suggestions made so far.

How to get de-listed (how, when and where to donate)...

If you look up your IP address and the listing has a mask of anything else but /32 (e.g. a listing of 127.0.0.0/8 has a mask of /8), then send an email to payments@sorbs.net.

If you do not know what your IP address is, please read the Support Request FAQ because you cannot be de-listed without knowing it. This is simply because we are not mind readers. Any requests that do not contain the IP address(es) involved have to be ignored and deleted unread. Sorry.

If your listing has a mask of /32 (eg: 127.0.0.1/32 <- /32 = mask of /32) then there are two ways in which it can be de-listed.

1. Send a support request to: payments@sorbs.net to request the total number of spams. Then donate US$50 per spam to one of the charities or good causes listed below, or,
2. Pay US$50 to the charities or good causes listed below, and then submit a donation notification to: paid@sorbs.net

Note[1]: If you do not supply a receipt number and IP address, we will be unable to work out who paid what and you will not be de-listed. Also, if you have a previous [sorbs.net #ID] support ticket open, please include the ID in the new message.
Note[2]: Payments to charities are not refundable by SORBS in the event of a mistake as the charities have no affiliation with SORBS or any member of the SORBS staff.

Payment Choice: The Royal Children's Hospital

Due to the continuing threats of violence, hacking, and legal action towards the The Royal Children's Hospital, the hospital will not be accepting payments for de-listing.

SORBS considers the actions of those who have threatened The Royal Children's Hospital disgusting, and feels it only proves the type of people who are spamming are nothing but the scum of the earth.

The Royal Children's Hospital is a registered charity

Payment Choice: The Joey McNicol Legal Defense Fund

Payment here is usually immediate, and de-listing usually takes place within 24 hours.

Payment may be made via PayPal to: joey@vtgts.com

For those unfamiliar with PayPal:

• Go to http://www.paypal.com/
• Click the 'Send Money' tab.
• Create an account (if you don't already have one)
• Make a donation of US$50 to joey@vtgts.com, stating the IP address in the information field.

Note: It is very important you list the IP address you want de-listed in the information field. Without it, we will not be able to match the donation to a database entry.

Note: Joey McNicol has no connection with SORBS, he has no control over who is listed or de-listed. Complaining to him about an entry will not get you anywhere.

The Joey McNicol Legal Defense Fund is a good cause that SORBS supports.